Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-05
No EXTRA SESSION.

Governor LounsburV Gives His Official
DiefsiOn on the Grade Crossing mat.
ter-Re Says the Danger of Great
and ArreParabIe Wrong is Not So
Imminent as to Create a Case of
Special Emergency.
HARTFORD, Dec. 4.-Governor Lounsbury
has written letter to the Fairfield county
ture giving the reasons which have decided
him not to order such session. The petit
TONERS representing towns along the New
York, New Haven and Hartford railroad de-
sired a session in order to secure the repeal or
modification of the law concerning grade
crossings, by which half the expense of
changing such crossings may be assessed up
on tie towns. The railroad is at its own sx-
pense abolishing the grade crossings in the
State of New York and, to quote the Cover
nor's words, "there is a widespread feeling
that it should change its similar crossings in
this State, wholly at its own expense, either
voluntarily or from force of law existing
here. It is certain that the legislature which
passed the law concerning the abolishing of
grade crossings was governed solely by
motives that had in view the public safety,
but there is profound impression that the
directors of the railroad company in their Pc
tition under the law are disposed to ignore
its spirit and intent and in their apparent
plan to speedily abolish all grade crossings
on their line they had chiefly in view the i'm
proVement of their property, the saving of
expense in gates and hagmen by substitute
ing less expense, the more rapid running
of their trains, and hence the lessening of
the danger of successful competition. 1t is
felt to be especially hard and unjust that
any town should be taxed to remove from
the public highway a danger which, in the
first place, was wholly caused by the railroad
and which has been intensified not by any
action of the town, but by the very prosperi-
ty of the railroad itself, by the rapid growth
of the number of its trains and the great in
crease in the speed"
The Governor discusses the question at
length, claiming that there need be no inius-
tice to the towns under the present law; that
the railroad commissioners have ample power
to prevent I'M Justice; that no special instances
of in ustice have been cited and that the Gov
ernor cannot assume that the commissioners
will perpetrate any wrong upon the towns.
Moreover the decisions of the commissioners
Or courts of the State and it will be easy to
delay the contamination of any unsatisfac
tory decision until after the beginning of the
regular session of the next General Assembly.
The Governor concludes: GIN this condi-
ton of affairs I am clearly of the opinion
thar the danger or great and 1rreparable
wrong is not 80 imminent as to create case
Of special emergency and hence that should
not be justified in calling an extra session of
the legislature. You will permit me, as one
Of the citizens of the State, to express the
hope that the good work of abolishing the
grade crossings will go on as rapidly as the
prosperity of the railroads and rights of the
towns will permit, and that in the mutual
forbearance of all parties the railroad COM
nissioners in this department of their duty
will be enabled to act as mediators rather |
han be compelled to sit as judges"